Ducks are aquatic birds whose most fundamental welfare needs include access to open water for bathing, swimming, and eye cleaning — needs that commercial duck farming rarely provides.
Ducks are waterfowl whose anatomy and behavior are fundamentally adapted for aquatic environments. Without access to water deep enough to immerse their heads, ducks develop eye infections, nasal blockages, and deteriorated plumage condition. Without bathing access, feather waterproofing degrades. Preference tests consistently show ducks prioritise open water access highly when given a choice. Commercial duck production that does not provide at minimum head-immersion water access fails to meet basic welfare needs for a species whose requirement for water is a core feature of its biology.